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Subject:Re: Salary bell curve: on the downside From:"Scott Holstad" <SHolstad -at- ci -dot- knoxville -dot- tn -dot- us> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 14 May 2001 09:49:20 -0400
Matthew,
No offense intended, but it's such a relief to hear about someone else in the same boat. For the last few years, my salary steadily increased by 11%-16% per year for a large start-up in L.A. In 1999, I made a pretty good income.
I moved to Tennessee (family). I recently did taxes and was mortified to find that this past year I made one fourth of what I did in L.A. the previous year! In fact, my salary is so depressingly low, that it's the exact same amount I made before I ever became a tech writer, with my first job out of grad school as a copyeditor. 14 books written, 6 years tech writing experience, and entry level salary. Maybe I should go back to being a university professor. I wouldn't make any money there either, but at least I'd get summers off....
Anyone else experiencing the down-side of the salary curve?
I recently found an embarrassing post on TECHWRL I made about 3.5 years ago,
bragging about how I had been reaping massive raises by job hopping.
Funny thing has happened lately, as I end my 7th year in this profession, I
made the exact same that I made during my 2nd year. My 4th and 5th years
were pretty good, but since then my income has been steadily dropping. A
perfect Bell curve.
Of course, there are circumstances. Namely, spending the last year as a
freelance writer pursuing book deals with a major publisher, instead of
working as a salary tech writer. It feels strange, though, to be at the top
of my form--having achieved published author status this year--yet to be so,
well, poor.
If anything, after all my experiences, I'm still lean and hungry, eyes set
on the stars, and still unspoiled by cushy salary jobs or stock options. At
least, that's how I rationalize having a jam-packed resume with a entry
level income. Uh-oh, is this another cry of hubris that I'll be embarrassed
about later...?
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